Henderson Officers Target Distracted Drivers

(Henderson,NV-KXNT)-If you are guilty of trying to sneak in a text or two while driving, consider this your warning.

Henderson police officers will be monitoring the city’s ten busiest intersections, looking for drivers who are talking on their cell phones, sending a text message, or even using their navigation tools on the phone. Henderson spokesperson Kathleen Richards says it all about making sure drivers are paying attention to the road.

“The Nevada Department of Transportation estimates that Nevada has 2,000 crashes yearly that they can attribute to distracted driving and 16% percent of all fatal crashes involve some form of distracted driving, ” explains Richards.

Here’s the catch: you won’t know they’re watching.

Plain-clothes officers will be set up at the intersections, watching your every move. If they catch you using the phone or engaging in some other distraction, the officers will radio ahead to waiting patrol officers who will pull you over and give you a ticket.

“People should not be texting, checking their emails, accessing the internet or in any way using their handheld cellular device while driving and that includes at a red lights, ” states Richardson.

Fines can range from $50-$250, depending on if you have been ticketed for the offense before. Those who have been guilty of distracted driving could face a temporary license suspension.